Our society is in dire need of leaders with integrity and an
agenda for transformation. This has been my conviction for some time now, but
the trip to eastern Uganda confirmed it in a way I least expected. The trip had
two goals. First, to meet the onsite internship supervisors, in order to review
the progress of five of our students who have been posted for a ten-week
internship in Tororo, Mbale and Kumi. Second, was to meet the
staff/congregations of these organizations/churches and talk to them about
training opportunities at Africa Renewal Christian College (ARCC). In each of the locations I visited, the
on-site supervisors expressed gratitude to ARCC for training students to
exercise exemplary leadership qualities. Those doing pastoral internship were lauded
for their commitment to tasks, innovation of new programs and reviving the
congregations. Likewise those in child development organizations (Compassion
International and Food for the Hungry) were exemplary in their commitment to
the children’s cause and inspiring fellow staff. It was very gratifying to
listen to these positive testimonies about our students. But the innovation
and passion with which our students approached their work was in stark contrast
to the declining level of leadership in the region. This was a concern leaders
voiced in all these locations.
My visit came at a time when communities in the districts of
Kumi, Mbale and Tororo were grappling with two major concerns. First, there was
the Bududa landslide that had displaced people and killed others as it has
always done. Unfortunately, the victims of these landslides never got all the
resources collected for their assistance. One of the leaders noted that through
corruption, some resources are diverted by those who are least affected yet
have influence. It is this lack of trust in their leaders that causes some
villagers to stick around in dangerous locations despite the call to vacate.
The second concern was the worsening state of the main road
that links Tororo, Mbale, Kumi and Soroti. With frequent accidents being
reported and long delays due to the bad state of the road, there was already talk
of demonstrations being organized to voice people’s dissatisfaction with the
slow and untroubled response of their leaders to the issue.
As I reflected on what I saw and heard it became clearer to
me that indeed we need leaders of integrity, leaders who are moved by the
suffering of those they lead, leaders with a passion for the transformation of
their communities. Training such leaders is what ARCC exists to do. And the
good example of our internship students is testimony to the viability of this
project. But the need is greater in comparison to our current capacity.
Hopefully ARCC will soon rather than later have the capacity to match its
output to the dire need out there.
Samuel Onyait
B.Th, PGD, MA. (Dev’t)
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